Why to join?
Unique combination of experiment and analysis.
- Our goal is to find principles of brain computation.
- We are using this knowledge to create biologically-informed treatments for disorders like addiction, PTSD and depression.
- We are also using this knowledge to develop neural computation-inspired algorithms.
Your research will focus on a combination of computer science, neuroscience, and physiology of brain and psychiatric disorders. This will give you a freedom of choice on your next career steps. Based on your experience and exposure to basic science “translated” to disorder treatments and AI, you can continue your career in the following directions:
- Perform big data analysis.
- Create algorithms that deal with big data.
- Measure complex physiology and behavior.
- Open your own AI or Bio startup.
- Go to med school.
- Continue research in academia.
Lab environment is energetic, friendly, creative, team-oriented—“startup + academia” style.
- Teamwork, including undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students.
- Constant brainstorming in groups and with PI.
- You can work on a flexible time schedule.
- We view every student as a vital contributor to our projects.
In our lab, you will learn brain physiology underlying complex behavior.
- Learn about brain physiology with state of art methods! Imaging of ~500 neurons and simultaneous electrophysiological recordings of ~1000-3000 neurons.
- Learn about mouse and rats behavior and create your own tasks! These tasks will be used to study psychiatric and neurological disease.
- Learn how to build electronic, optics and 3D print mechanical parts to create your brain implants and build behavioral chambers.
In our lab you will learn computation, analysis, and algorithm creation.
- Learn how to analyze big data! 30-500TB of data per project.
- Create analytic and statistical tools to study big data.
- Create your algorithms that will deal with simultaneously recorded brain dynamics.
- Create your computational models that will relate circuit dynamic to behavior.
Study anatomical neuronal circuit composition in relation to behavior.
- Use state of the art tools to visualize brain neuronal network, including fine connectivity features like spines and inhibitory and excitatory synapses. This is done selectively for each neuronal type in a circuit.
- Use novel imaging methods to scan these circuits.
- Create computational tools to find each neuron and connections between neurons in the circuit.
- Create computational tools to relate anatomy to physiology. We are measuring activity of network using in vivo imaging and finding same network anatomy and architecture using histology.
- Create computational models that can explain how network composition will result in circuit physiology and animal behavior.
Graduate and postdoctoral research projects
Please see our previous publication and research section. Please contact Alexander Friedman (afriedman@utep.edu) to discuss your possible research projects.
Undergraduate research projects (3 projects: neuroscience, biotechnology and big data computation)
Project 1 Title: Participate in behavioral assays and neural recordings in rats and mouse models of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease
Project Description: Help us do experiments to solve the mysteries of the brain! You will learn to design and run advanced behavioral decision-making assays in genetically-engineered mouse models of neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. You will also participate in building recording devices and performing advanced in vivo electrophysiological and imaging recordings in behaving mice, assist in brain surgeries to implant these devices, and help to analyze your own data. You will be fully supervised and can work on a flexible time schedule.
The striatum is a key part of the basal ganglia that receives input from midbrain dopamine neurons, cortex, and thalamus. It is thought to be centrally involved in procedural learning, habit formation, action selection, and movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and dystonia, as well as addiction, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia, and other disorders. In these two projects, our goal is to understand the functions of neurons in the striatum and other brain areas in simple behavioral tasks performed by rats and mice, typically involving learning. These are ideal projects for students seeking experience in preparation for medical school or a research PhD program.
Prerequisites: Ideally, we would like to find a student who can work at least 12 hours per week and would potentially be interested in working with us for longer than a year. Students’ projects are for credit; with increasing experience or in special cases, we will consider students for pay.
Contact: Alexander Friedman, Department of Biological Sciences
Project 2 Title: Develop Python and Arduino-based behavioral assays for testing and imaging brains of mouse models of neurodegenerative disease
Project Description: Help us solve the mysteries of the brain using your Python, Arduino and Matlab skills! You will help us to develop new features for a custom written Python program and Arduino-microcontroller-based behavioral training system for mice. We will interface this system with neuronal imaging and circuit physiology and recording systems to allow recording of the striatum of mice during different behavioral tasks. This project combines electronics, optics and programming with novel approaches to data analysis. The student will be fully supervised and can work on a flexible time schedule. The ideal applicant for this student position will have Python and MATLAB programming skills; familiarity with Arduino microcontrollers is a plus.
This is an ideal project for students interested in putting their computer programming and electronics skills to use for the helping to unravel the brain mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Ideally, we would like to find a student who could work at least 12 hours per week and would potentially be interested in working with us for longer than a year, including summers.
In this project, our goal is to understand the functions of neurons in the striatum and other brain areas in simple behavioral tasks performed by rats and mice, typically involving learning. The striatum is a key part of the basal ganglia that receives input from midbrain dopamine neurons, cortex, and thalamus. It is thought to be centrally involved in procedural learning, habit formation, action selection, and movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and dystonia, as well as addiction, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia, and other disorders.
Prerequisites: Ideally, we would like to find a student who can work at least 12 hours per week and would potentially be interested in working with us for longer than a year. Students’ projects are for credit; with increasing experience or in special cases, we will consider students for pay.
Contact: Alexander Friedman, Department of Biological Sciences
Project Title: Perform computational analyses of electrophysiological and imaging data from the brain
Project 3 Description: Help us solve the mysteries of the brain using your computer programming and math skills! You will help us analyze large data sets focused on electrophysiological and imaging recordings from the striatum of rats during different behavioral tasks. This project combines classical statistical methods with novel approaches to data analysis. We will develop new mathematical models based on real data and will test these in specially designed experiments. The student will be fully supervised and can work on a flexible time schedule. The ideal applicant for this student position will have MATLAB programming skills and basic knowledge of calculus, linear algebra, and statistics – but we will also teach you new skills.
This is an ideal project for students with computer programming and mathematics skills who are interested in neuroscience. Ideally, we would like to find a student who could work at least 12 hours per week and would potentially be interested in working with us for longer than a year, including summers.
In this project, our goal is to understand the functions of neurons in the striatum and other brain areas in simple behavioral tasks performed by rats and mice, typically involving learning. The striatum is a key part of the basal ganglia that receives input from midbrain dopamine neurons, cortex, and thalamus. It is thought to be centrally involved in procedural learning, habit formation, action selection, and movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and dystonia, as well as addiction, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia, and other disorders.
Prerequisites: Ideally, we would like to find a student who can work at least 12 hours per week and would potentially be interested in working with us for longer than a year, including summers. Student’s projects are for credit; with increasing experience or in special cases, we will consider student’s for pay.
Contact: Alexander Friedman, Department of Biological Sciences